"Basics of Telescopes and NASA Missions" Webinar 4/9/14

Thanks to Sondra Geddes of NASA for this announcment:


Audience: Grades 5-12 in-service, pre-service, informal and home school educators.

Join this webinar and learn about basic principles of telescope design and how NASA missions use the same design principles. Examine how NASA works within technological constraints, just as your students are expected to do with Next Generation Science Standards or Common Core State Standards activities.

This webinar is appropriate for grades 5-12 science teachers.  The focus will be on basic principles rather than a mathematical treatment of lenses and mirrors. Let’s have some fun and see how there really is a clear link between that $350 Dobsonian telescope you can buy and the incredible science going on at NASA. Wrap-up the webinar with a quick look at the “citizen science” movement and see how you and your students can be part of genuine astronomical research projects.

The free webinar (hosted by Dr. Richard Chapleau) will be held from 3:30pm-4:30pm PST.  To register, go to Basics of Telescopes and NASA Missions Webinar .

Dow "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge Entries Due by 5/16/14

Dow is offering grants of $1,000 to winners of the "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge.  Teachers are asked to submit up to 300 word answers each to two questions:

1. What is the biggest gap in STEM education that you face as a teacher?
2. If you could change one thing about STEM education, what would that be?  How would you apply it in your classroom?

Application entries are due on-line to Dow by no later than 16 May 2014.  Teacher answers will be reviewed by a panel of scientists and educators from The Center for Science Teaching and Learning in New York.  For further information and to enter, visit Dow "STEMtheGAP" Teacher Challenge .

Columbia Memorial Space Center "Spring Break Workshops" On Tap 4/17-4/19/14

The City of Downey and the Columbia Memorial Space Center are providing spring break workshops for students in 3rd through 8th grades at a cost of $22 per person ($18 for members).  Columbia Memorial Space Center .  Located at 12400 Columbia Way in Downey, the workshops will be:

• Robotics, 17 April 2014, 10:00am-noon PST
• Rocketry, 18 April 2014, 10:00am-noon PST
• Space Science, 19 April 2014, 10:00am-noon PST

For further details, call (562) 231-1200, or e-mail info@downeyspacecenter.org .

AVC Hosting "Women in STEM" on 4/11/14

Antelope Valley College's STEM Club will be hosting "Women in STEM," featuring exciting presentations and panels, including keynote speaker Dr. Adrienne Brundage, a forensic entomologist and lecturer at Texas A&M University.  The event, which will be held from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on 11 April 2014 in the AVC Cafeteria (3041  W. Avenue K, Lancaster, CA), is open to all ages; refreshments will be available.

March STEM-Madness in the Antelope Valley

March 2014 saw many different STEM-centric happenings in the Antelope Valley.  Among them were 3rd Annual Aerospace Valley Science Olympiad, the 2nd Annual STEM Conference for Girls, and the Lockheed-sponsored STEM Display at the LA County Air Show.  Here are a few pictures from the events, and a link to video from the Air Show, compliments of the Highland High School Video Production class taught by Pavel Vogler:

Families wait for student Science Olympians on 3/8 at AVC

Students compete at Science Olympiad

Science Olympians compete at AVC

Parents hear from industry panel at STEM Conference for Girls 3/15

AV middle and high schoolers at STEM Conference for Girls 3/15 at PCC



AVHS GE Academy at STEM Exhibit 3/21

HHS PLTW Pathway at STEM Exhibit

PHS FAST Academy Solar Car Testbed at STEM Exhibit

KHS DD&E Academy at STEM Exhibit

QHHS PLTW Pathway at STEM Exhibit

                    Blue Angels Air Show Music Video - Highland HS

Free NAPE Non-Trad Webinar on 4/15/14 "Engage Parents to Support Nontraditional Careers--An Open Forum for Sharing Local Outreach Strategies "

NAPE's STEM Equity Pipeline is offering a free webinar on 15 April 2014 at 10:00am PDT on the theme of "Engage Parents to Support Nontraditional Careers - An Open Forum for Sharing Local Outreach Strategies."  The session will be moderated by Jeanette Thomas from the Iowa Department of Education in a discussion format.

" The webinar will be hosted by a facilitator and will be conducted in a discussion format versus a presenter/presentation format. This is an opportunity for you to showcase successful parent-education partnerships in promoting nontraditional careers.

"Five programs will be selected to start the conversation. Then the discussion will be open to all participants on the webinar. Each of the five programs selected will be given a total of 3 minutes to share its ideas and program information, as well as one key strategy that makes the program a success. 

"If you would like to be considered as one of the five programs to start the conversation, then please submit a one-page summary and contact information by April 9, 2014, to Nancy Tuvesson at ntuvesson@napequity.org."

To register for the webinar, visit NAPE Non-Trad 4/15 Webinar

Range and Natural Resources Youth Camp Scholarship Applications Due 4/18/14

MEEC is offering scholarships to students aged 15-18 in its Antelope Valley/High Desert service areas to attend the Range and Natural Resources Youth Camp at Elkus Youth Camp at Half Moon Bay, California from 15-20 June 2014.  The applications are due directly to MEEC by no later than 18 April 2014 (applications submitted directly to the Range Camp are not eligible for consideration).

"Range Camp fosters an appreciation for several fields of applied science and management through interaction with university faculty and experienced professionals in classroom and field activities.  Students will address the importance of such topics as plant identification, livestock production, wildlife management, forestry, fire ecology, geology, soils, water resources, rangeland ecosystems, technologies used in natural resource science and management.  At the end of the week, students will be evaluated on their understanding of the materials, with the top two campers being awarded an all-expense-paid trip to represent California and the Pacific Islands at SRM’s High School Youth Forum (HSYF) held in conjunction with its national science meeting in Sacramento, CA, January 30- February 6, 2014. The third highest camper will be invited to attend as well, but will need to find other means of paying for the trip. (Delegates must still be in high school through Feb 2015.)"

The scholarships include tuition and airfare of up to $350.  For further details on eligibility, scholarship requirements, and to download the application materials, visit MEEC Range Camp Scholarships .

Physics and Modeling Summer Institute Hosted by Whittier Union High School District

Whittier Union High School District will be hosting a summer institute for pre-service or in-service physics teachers, "Modeling Physics," taught by Mark Hughes and Ben Balarie. The institute will be held at Pioneer High School from 9 June through 27 June 2014, 8:00am to 3:00pm each weekday.  The $1,000 registration fee includes curriculum materials, and lunch each day.  "This 3-week summer workshop uses scientifically researched & based instructional techniques to address physics content and pedagogy for 1st semester high school physics: mechanics.  Modeling instruction provides training to improve classroom practices and student academic achievement through effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills."

For reservations and further information, contact Cindy Frith at (562) 698-8121 ext. 1190, or via e-mail at cindy.frith@wuhsd.org  .

Carnegie Learning Math Webinar Series

Carnegie Learning is hosting a series of free webinars related to math and the Common Core:

• What's the Value of Math Discourse and How Do I Create It?  3 April 2014, noon PST
• Data-Driven Instruction:  What Gets Measured, Gets Done.  17 April 2014, noon PST
• "More Than Meets the Eye:"  Seeing Structure in Graphical Transformations Across the Curriculum.  24 April 2014, noon PST

For more information and to register, go to Carnegie Learning Math Webinar Series

Youth Environmental Leadership Conference Registration Now Open

MEEC has announced the availability of Youth Environmental Leadership Conference registration materials for the event on 4 October 2014.  In addition to the STEMFest, breakout sessions will be held at the annual free STEM Service Learning event in the Victorville area.  Topics will focus on “green” themes such as water conservation, solar oven construction, robotics, and school garden projects. Transportation grants and project grants will be available for High Desert, California teams which register to participate.  Due to the registration deadline of 15 September 2014, teams will be allowed to bring some students from the 2013 competition team.  For more details, to access registration forms, and mini-grant forms, please visit YELC 2014 Applications.